Troops against rodents: a new problem in the war zone
"Extracting" mice from the exhaust pipe of an armored vehicle. Still from a famous video
With the onset of the cold season, a new negative factor appeared in the area of the special military operation - rodents. Small animals have proliferated beyond measure and are causing various inconveniences. In addition, mice and rats pose a potential threat to health and property. To combat this problem, a variety of means and methods are used, both traditional and newly invented.
The problem and its source
For the second year in a row, fighting in the Donbass and new Russian regions is interfering with agriculture. Due to the impossibility of carrying out the necessary activities, large areas remain unseeded or uncleaned. As a result, a mass of grain and plants in general remains in the fields, which becomes an excellent food supply for the local fauna.
First of all, living creatures in the form of various rodents - mice, rats, voles, etc. - took advantage of this opportunity. Not feeling the need for food, they began to actively reproduce, and within a few months their numbers increased significantly. At the same time, animals quickly reach maturity and give birth to a new generation, as a result of which their number continues to grow.
Mice on Ukrainian positions - the floor is literally covered with fauna. Photo: Thedrive.com
In search of additional food supply, rodents, and along with them other representatives of the fauna, come to humans. They strive to get into housing, outbuildings and other objects where there may be food. In a combat zone, they predictably begin to penetrate into the trenches and dugouts of active troops, as well as into rear facilities.
In recent weeks, a plethora of photographs and videos have emerged in the public domain, demonstrating the scale of the problem. Small animals run around objects without fear of humans, look for food or shelter, and also go about their other business. Often mice stage entire invasions of dugouts and literally cover the floor and other surfaces.
In addition, mice search and find shelter in the most unexpected places. So, in one of the recent videos they were hiding in the dark and warm exhaust pipe of a combat vehicle. When the crew tried to start the engine, dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals ran out of the pipe and spilled out. Probably, in this case, many mice received injuries incompatible with life, but the remaining “contingent” has a significant number and is capable of continuing to cause harm and multiply.
Fox on a winter hunt for small animals. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
It should be noted that the problem of rodents is observed throughout the combat zone and on both sides of the front. The presence of such problems with the enemy is generally beneficial for the Russian army. However, our fighters also have to fight small fauna in order to avoid major consequences.
Risks of various kinds
From the point of view of the national economy, mice, rats and other similar animals are unambiguous pests, because cause obvious harm in a variety of ways, directly or indirectly. In addition, we should not forget about the psychological aspects - the presence of rodents does not add comfort, especially in difficult front-line conditions.
First of all, rodents are harmful because they can cause damage to various materials, supplies, etc. In search of food, they gnaw through soft and hard barriers, violate the integrity of structures and packaging, etc. In this case, there may be useful objects in the path of a mouse or rat that will be damaged. These could be items of uniform or equipment, various storage devices, etc.
There is also a characteristic tendency of rodents to damage various devices and instruments, electrical wiring, etc. The events of 1942 became widely known, when one of the large Wehrmacht formations suffered from Soviet mice - the animals damaged the wiring on military equipment and disabled some of the vehicles.
Cat Marusya from the detachment of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Oryol region. In November, she arrived in Lugansk to carry out special tasks to maintain the spirit of the soldiers and protect supplies. Photo by the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation
Having reached the food, the animals, without hesitation, arrange a real feast. A “squad” of large rodents can quickly destroy a significant amount of supplies, as well as irreversibly spoil the remaining ones.
Wild rodents also pose a biological hazard. They are carriers of a wide range of parasites and infections, incl. transmitted to humans. Some of these infections are very dangerous. Transmission can occur through direct contact, through damaged items, through intermediate carriers in the form of insects, etc.
Methods of struggle
Rodents that cause inconvenience to humans have a number of natural enemies - these are foxes, ferrets, snakes and several species of birds. It is obvious that they are already actively using the increased food supply, and they are not threatened with a hungry winter. However, predators will not be able to quickly consume this resource and return it to its previous level. In addition, fighting, with its noise and various risks, is not conducive to a peaceful hunt.
Humanity has long been faced with the problem of rodents and has developed a wide range of methods and means to combat them. A variety of methods for protecting premises and supplies are proposed and used, as well as more radical methods involving the destruction of rodents.
Spring mousetraps of different designs, designed for one pest. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
To protect against pests, storage areas should be kept as closed as possible, if possible; eliminate cracks and other potential entry points for pests. This is often impossible, and therefore you should use protected means of storing valuable items - boxes made of metal or thick boards that will be beyond the strength of a rodent.
Various pest repellents are produced by industry or can be made at home. These can be generators of high-frequency sounds that are unpleasant for rodents, sources of pungent odors, etc.
The common domestic cat is an excellent protector against small pests. In search of food or during play, she is capable of catching and killing large numbers of mice and rats. In addition, the presence of a mousecatcher scares away rodents and, at a minimum, makes them behave more carefully. It should be noted that the furry and tailed hunter also has the function of psychological assistance - the presence of a cat has a positive effect on the moral climate in the unit.
Multi-person cage mousetrap - once inside, the pest cannot get out. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Mechanical means of searching and/or eliminating rodents are widely used. These are a variety of spring mousetraps, traps, sticky traps, etc. In the demonstrated pest infestation conditions, the quantity of such agents and their productivity are of great importance. For example, a classic spring mousetrap, which needs to be recharged after each caught animal, clearly does not correspond to the scale of the task.
Pesticides in various forms are a reliable means of pest control. Poisoned baits are sure to attract the attention of wild mice and reduce their population. At the same time, it is believed that such drugs are ineffective against rats - they are too cautious and timid to consume dangerous objects en masse and not notice the consequences. It should also be borne in mind that poisons pose a danger not only to small animals and require precautions.
Threats and reaction
Thus, in a combat zone there may be risks not only of a military nature. Military operations always have an impact on the biosphere, and this process can have negative consequences. Right now you can see how the senseless resistance of the Kyiv regime and Ukrainian formations interfered with agriculture, and then led to a sharp increase in the number of small pests.
Proliferating rodents are a known nuisance to our troops and also pose a potential threat. Fortunately, throughout history interaction with such fauna, various methods and means of combating it were developed. Thanks to this, the Russian army successfully resists mice and rats, and also continues to carry out combat missions.
Information